The open-mid central rounded vowel, or low-mid central rounded vowel, is a vowel sound used in some spoken languages. The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that represents this sound is . The symbol is called closed reversed epsilon. It was added to the IPA in 1993; before that, this vowel was transcribed .
IPA charts were first published with this vowel transcribed as a closed epsilon, (that is, a closed variant of , much as is a closed variant of ), and this variant made its way into Unicode as . The IPA charts were later changed to the current closed reversed epsilon , and this was adopted into Unicode as .
Features
Occurrence Language Word IPA Meaning Notes Afrikaans 'air' Also been described as mid , typically transcribed in IPA with . Many speakers merge with , even in formal speech. See Afrikaans phonology English Irish munch 'munch' Corresponds to in other varieties. See English phonology New Zealand not 'not' Possible realization of . See New Zealand English phonology Faroese, cited in 'high' Typically transcribed in IPA with . See Faroese phonology French Parisian 'port', 'harbour' Described variously as an allophone of before and as the default allophone of . See French phonologyGermanChemnitz dialect'bliss'May be transcribed as though is typically used. Irish 'to measure' See Irish phonology Kashubian'bird' Koyukon-ʉghdonaanh 'son-in-law' Limburgish Maastrichtian 'lazy' Allophone of in words with Accent 2. May be slightly diphthongal itself. It contrasts with the near-open in words with Accent 2 ( itself is always toneless). It may be transcribed in IPA with , as it is a phonological front vowel. Mongolian Khalkha'horse'Allophone of before a palatalized consonant.Mortlockesemér'to sleep'Phonemic vowel. MwerlapFrançois (2005: 445, 460).'Merelava' Navajo. The authors gave a narrow transcription of , though at the time the IPA had only this one symbol for a mid central rounded vowel, and it is clear from the discussion and formant charts that this vowel a centralized open-mid vowel. 'seven' See Navajo phonology Northern Tiwa Taos dialect 'his-garment-around' Allophone of . See Taos phonologyPanará 'trousers'Contrasts with . Poitevin 'he gives' Scottish Gaelic Lewis 'last night' Allophone of in the diphthong . West Frisian Southwestern dialects, citing 'tomcat' Corresponds to in other dialects. See West Frisian phonology
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